Corrupted Hearts
by Heihachi-Katayama
Summary: Revised version of Song of the Fallen. Alex will never be forgotten. His spirit lives on in the hearts of his friends...In fact, he lives on. THIS STORY HAS BEEN RESTARTED!
1. Chapter 1 Prologue: To The Sky

Finally, everything was over. The suffering had ended. He could no longer feel the pain of the rose thorns, still injecting truth serum into his blood stream. No longer could he hear the screams of the people below, watching the battle of the sky.

His messy hair, streaked with sweat and blood, hung limply around his face, dull obsidian eyes gazing from under black locks. His complexion was paler than normal, if that was even possible. Yet, he was alive…for now.

With a small grunt, the man forced himself to look up at the sky above, away from the still body of Maestro Delphine, whose eyes gazed lifelessly at him, clouded over. The expression of fear still remained on her face, even in death.

With foggy vision, he could still make out ships sailing above, looking tiny compared to the giant ship he was in. Among the ships, he could easily make out the Silvana, who seemed to be preparing a gun. Apparently, they had no idea he was still alive, and in the soon to be destroyed ship.

He found his thoughts wandering to his crew and, as much as he would not admit it, his friends from the Silvana. Perhaps it was the work of the serum, or maybe he knew he was face to face with death. Whatever the case, they were there, and he could not stop them.

Faces from the past swam through the ocean that was his mind. Images of his old friends; Vincent, Hamilcar Valca, and George Head rushed through his mind, so quickly he couldn't help but shed a small tear. Next was his crew. He knew Sophia would be fine, she was strong. Same for Tatiana, although he wished he could have told her that. Now, it was too late.

The gun was ready, and he could almost see the heat radiating off of it, even from this big of a distance. He allowed himself a small smile, more of a smirk, knowing his time was soon. The gun fired. One word escaped his grasp.

"Sophia"

A loud explosion shook the ship. The ship started to sink, as Alex Row, captain of the infamous 'kill-'em-all' Silvana, said his last words, before giving into the darkness.

"…To the sky"

-end of chapter-

Alex: You do know that I don't-

Me: SHHH! You're ruining the suspense!

Random Anime Announcer (RAA): Next chapter: Memories and Memorials

Me: Please review! The fate of Alex depends on it!!!

Alex: Yeah, right…


	2. Chapter 2: Memories and Memorials

I forgot to add a disclaimer…so here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Last Exile of any of it characters. All I own is this story.

-Start Story-

-Claus's profile-

The world has entered a state of peace and tranquility. The war is over.

Now there is no Disith.

There is no Anatoray.

And there is no guild.

As my dad once said, we are going to build a new world,

…Together…

-Sophia's profile-

No one had believed it would happen.

Alex Row, Captain of the legendary Silvana, friend of Valca and Head, had perished by his own beloved ship's guns. The news had spread like wildfire, but no one knew the real story. All they could think of was the loss of two of the biggest threats, Alex Row and Maestro Delphine. I know better. I know he is waiting. It all started with a promise…

-Flashback-

_A young girl stood by a large olive tree, watching the clouds drift by._

'_I want to go there…' she thought, 'I want to soar in those vast skies. Be free like all people should…'_

"_Planning your escape?"_

_She gasped, spinning around to face her friend, Alex._

_Alex smirked, looking up at the sky. "I know what you have been thinking about, Sophia. And I will make it come true. I will be a great captain, and you will be my first officer. We will soar the skies, be free, and you can forget about being a princess, someone else can be one instead."_

_Sophia smiled, holding out her hand. "Do you promise, Alex?"_

_He nodded and took it. "Yes, Sophia. I promise. Soon, we will run away. Soon… we will be free."_

-End Flashback-

Somehow, I know. This is not the end.

I know my captain will return.

And soon…we will meet him again.

As I stand in front of his grave, I can't help but smile. "We really were fearless back then, weren't we, Alex?"

-Flashback-

"_Where is he?"_

_Sophia sighed as she paced around her room, awaiting the return of her friend, and captain, Alex Row. He was supposed to be there by now…where could he have gone?_

_There was a small click as her door swung open, and in came Alex, carrying a small bag._

"_Sorry I'm late," he smiled, closing the door behind him. "I got caught in the market…look!" He handed her the bag._

_She opened it and grinned. Inside was a package of berries, homegrown and plump with juices. Her parents didn't like it when she ate things like that, so she could count on Alex to get her treats every once in awhile._

_Alex smiled, seeing her reaction. "They are the last of them, homegrown from our farm. I hope you like them."_

"_I love them!" she exclaimed, jumping up to hug him. A small blush spread across his cheeks from the contact._

"_Anyway," she said, sitting back on the bed again, "Have you been planning the escape?"_

"_You bet!" he smiled. "Here…I'll show you…_

'_Sophia, I promise you. We will make it.'_

-End Flashback-

Sophia saluted, gazing fondly at the newly placed headrest.

"Please don't ever forget, sir. I am now, and will always be your first officer."

-End Story-

R.A.A: Next chapter…Promises to Keep.

Me: Stay tuned!!


	3. Chapter 3: Promises To Keep

Me: So…I really wasn't going to continue this story originally, but after receiving a bunch of story alerts and such I thought 'huh…this just might be my most popular story.' So I read over it again, and realized that wow – this is better than the stories I am working on now! So why not try to continue it? Unfortunately, I never finished setting up the plot on this one, so it might take some time for me to get everything sorted out again. Also, my writing style has changed since I wrote this fic, so it might be a little bit of a different story, so to say.

One more thing – I accidentally said 'end of story' at the end of the last chapter. That is not true! I was planning on continuing it, until I ran into some other problems and such…anyway, I guess I'll hand it over to Mr. RAA for now.

RAA: Starting chapter 3…Promises To Keep! As Heihachi here has clearly kept…

Me: Thanks, I guess…I APPOLIGIZE FOR THE POSSIBLE OOC-NESS OF THESE CHARACTERS!!

START STORY

"Miss Sophia, a gentleman is here to see you…miss?"

"Yes, yes…tell him I'll be right there."

Sophia sighed as she took one final glance at her map before neatly rolling it up and sliding it in a narrow gap between her oversized desk and the wall, where it would remain out of sight, before making her way to the door. The maids were never happy about her habits of pondering over the old charts and such. They claimed a single empress should be dating capable men and leading her country – all those boring tasks. What she would do for another flight on the Silvana…

"No! I can't think about that now!" Sophia growled to herself as she quickly straightened her uncomfortably tight dress and stepped out into the hall. She quickly walked down the halls, passing small smiles to the servants and maids who greeted her along the way with such delighted coos as "Oh, don't you look lovely today!" and "Absolutely stunning, as always!" Needless to say, the empress of Anatoray was quite relieved when she finally made it through the huge double doors which grandly presented the meeting room beyond.

The man looked up as she entered, relaxed on an oversized couch towards the back of the small, fairly empty room. Scattered about were other matching couches and chairs, all brought in by her request, and a big chair elegantly carved and decorated in small jewels and gold. The man himself wore a fancy coat with badges, depicting the various battles he had won and his high rank as an admiral. He smiled at her, but it was only his voice that made her recognize him.

"Good to see you again, miss Sophia."

Sophia rolled her eyes, barely holding back a grin as she shooed a couple guards out of the room. "That's just like you, Vince. You always were far too laid back."

"And that is a bad thing?"

"Not at all. I'm just envious of your abilities." She gave up on holding back the grin and lowered herself onto one of the softer chairs. "I haven't seen you for awhile."

"I've been busy with that ship you managed to obtain for me. More importantly, how are you doing?" Vincent was clearly concerned as he gazed at her with a slight frown, not even commenting on her ignorance of her designated chair.

Sophia hesitated, casting a glance at the door before saying softly, "I just…I can't get over it, Vince. I can't forget it…that day…"

Vincent frowned deeper before letting out a heavy sigh. "You have changed, Sophia…but I suppose some things must remain the same."

"Yes, but it's been two years! I have far more important matters to attend to…"

"There is not a day that passes when I don't think of him."

Sophia looked up in surprise at Vincent's words, but the man was looking at his feet. "That was a day no one should ever have to experience."

She silently pursued her lips and stared at the ground, lost for a moment in unpleasant memories. They were interrupted when a guard came in, bowing to Sophia. "Empress, the emperor of Disith wishes to speak with you."

Sophia barely stopped herself from sighing and stood, giving Vincent a small smile as she turned. "I hope to see you around, Vince."

"I'm sure you will." Vincent stood and bowed, watching as she walked out of the room with a solemn expression. 'I'm sure I will…'

LINE BREAK

"I'm back." A black haired middle aged man entered a small book store, weaving through shelves of the dusty, rather old volumes.

"About time, Teran!" A young girl of around 14 darted out of nowhere, grinning it him as she held a huge stack of books. "I thought you might have gotten lost again!"

"You don't think that low of me, do you?" He smiled and lightly ruffled her hair fondly. "Now then, lets get to work, shall we? This shop still needs a lot more cleaning before we can open it. I think we can get two more shelves done before dinner if we are persistent."

END CHAPTER

Me: So…that was interesting, I hope.

RAA: Yeah, keep telling yourself that…

Me: I'm glad you are so sure of my abilities. Anyway, I also wanted to point out that Alex said in the first chapter of this story "Sophia", instead of "Euris" as he does in the anime. This is because…well, I honestly don't remember. Lets just say it'll help the story.

RAA: Liar. You just hate Euris..

Me: Of course not! ...alright, maybe a little. (blinks at glares) Alright, yes. I do hate her. And I hate that Alex won't get over her and turn to Sophia…

RAA: Well, they are like…9 years apart.

Me: …touch'e. But that is why I am writing this fic, so get over it and do your job!

RAA: Fine. The next chapter will hopefully come eventually, assuming this author gets off her lazy butt and updates In The Dragon's Den as well..

Me: HEY!! Who's your employer again?

RAA: (sigh) You.

Me: That's right. So who pays you?

RAA: You…wait, I don't get pai-

Me: You do now. (tosses a coin) Have fun. See you next chapter!!

RAA: Hey, what a rip-off! This is for some dentist!

THE END…FOR NOW.


	4. Chapter 4: Remember Me

Me: Sorry for the late update again! I am caught up with all kinds of school finals, plus as I have said before, I really dunno how to continue this, so trying to update is pretty much frying my brain. And I just started Maelstrom, so my mind wants to wander off to that rather than focus on these piles of homework I have yet to do…oh yes, AND there was an accident with the horses, so now my horse is un-rideable for awhile and my mom was hurt so she probably can barely ride at all this summer.

RAA: …Your life sucks.

Me: Atleast you agree with me for once…

RAA: But…I still think you are just being lazy. Those sound like excuses to m-

Me: (cuts him off) Alrighty then. Here is chapter 4! I hope this turned out ok!

RAA: Also, I think-

Me: (interrupts) Who said you could have an opinion?

RAA: (grumbles)

**START CHAPTER**

"Finally!" The young girl grinned as she stepped back and examined her work. Shelves and shelves of books were neatly placed along the walls and in rows in the center of the small shop. Old scrolls with maps in ancient tongues lay against a wooden backing built by Teran. The floor was spotless, and a small rug sat by the entrance, brand new and gleaming, if that was even possible. She turned and watched as Taren set the last few books on their spots, before he too stood back and smiled.

"Well, that's that. Now all we have to do is open it and advertise. You know what that means…"

He held up something, and the girl shrank back in horror. "Oh no…no way! I'm not wearing that!"

"What's so bad about it, Rosarine?" Teran asked, clearly confused. "It's just a dress…"

"Just a dress?!? Are you kidding me? It has bunny ears!"

Teran suddenly had an odd feeling of déjà vu, but he had no time to reflect on it as a woman came to the door, peeking in curiously.

"Hello, are you open?"

He traded a grin with Rosarine before settling back into work.

**LINE SKIP**

Sometime later, a young woman crept into an alleyway, ducking into the shadows to wait for some guards to pass before making her way into the streets. Once blended in, she seemed to relax, but only slightly as she carried on down the road. One could only suppose she knew what she was doing, though it was hard to tell whether she was running from something or simply in a hurry. Many decided to take a guess as that it was both, and they were quite correct.

She continued on her way until she reached a small bookstore crowded in with the other busy shops. She had been waiting for a chance to take a look at it, as her busy life usually gave her no time for leisurely activities, but she still managed to find time. Namely, some maids took pity on her and covered for her so she could sneak out and have some fun.

The store itself was very peaceful…simple, but it still had an air of calm about it, unlike the busy marketplace inside. As she entered, she took into account the wide range of books, many of which looked about ready to fall apart at the slightest touch. There were only a few people in here, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely as they poured over the ancient volumes. A young girl, who apparently worked here, was carefully placing some books on a shelf near the back of the room.

"May I help you?"

She jumped at the voice and spun around to find a, well…not really young man, looking at her. He was probably around 30, and had a friendly enough look, though somehow it didn't suit him as well as it could. It just seemed…fake, to her. She realized, with a pang of sorrow, that this was likely because he looked so much like _him…_of course, he had longer black hair –about shoulder length and straight - with just a slight curl at the bottom as if it had a mind of it's own. He had soft black eyes, and wore a blue mechanics vest and white pants. And his attitude was far lighter, after all, _he _would never say that, but still…she found herself with a sudden undying desire to visit that grave. _He_ deserved to know, even if _he_ didn't care.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"Oh…yes, I'm sorry." She blushed just slightly, having not realized that she had neglected to reply due to her initial surprise.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" His voice was just so controlled, it was quite eerie. All of her thoughts vanished as she tried to think of what she had come in here for in the first place, only to come up blank. She tried again, and this time had some success.

"Sort of…do you have any ship plans?"

He blinked, clearly surprised, but shrugged and led her over to a rack on the far wall, where a bunch of scrolls lay weightless in a basket.

"Everything we have is here. Let me know if you need anything else."

Did his voice just get a bit sharp? She blinked in confusion and followed him with her eyes as he went into a back room, before turning back to the scrolls and picking up the first one. No matter, she may as well read as much as possible before the guards came.

Sophia was not about to be dragged back to the palace yet.

**LINE SKIP**

Meanwhile, Teran groaned to himself as he shut the door behind him, rubbing his temples. He suddenly had a terrible headache…had he pushed himself too hard again? He had thought things were pretty light…how odd. Well, Rosaline had everything under control for now. Might as well take a nap to try and settle the war in his head.

He made his way up some stairs and through a narrow hall, stepping into a room about halfway through. The room itself was fairly plain, made of wood and with all wooden furniture. Teran stumbled over to a decent sized bed and sank gratefully into the soft mattress, cradling his head. The headache had gotten worse, and now was unbelievably painful – like someone had smacked it with a hammer and thrown him head-first off a cliff at the same time.

The pain increased as he lay there, raising to frightening levels. He wondered vaguely if he should get help, and had just started to raise himself up when a sudden swooping sensation fell over him, and he knew no more.

His mind was far more restless than his body in his slumber.

_**Start Dream**_

_Teran found himself in a mysterious vortex of some time, except…that wasn't him, was it? He seemed so much younger and…well, different. The air swirled harshly around him as his fingers expertly darted over the controls of the van ship he was piloting. _

_He was in the grand stream, on an important mission._

_But…wait. There was no co-pilot! And that ship in front of him…why was there no one in it? Yet, it was still flying…unless…_

_Oh god! He was falling! It all made sense now! _

_He found himself panicking as he desperately tried to get his ship to fly again, but to no avail. All the meters were at the right levels, it had plenty of gas…yet it would not fly._

_The van ship simply could not fly._

_He screamed as the ship rocked, but then stopped as another spasm of fear hit him hard. Why could he not hear himself? Better yet, why was there no sound?!?_

_Another spasm followed. He was falling to his doom…he was going to die…_

_And no one knew._

_**End Dream**_

**END OF CHAPTER**

Me: I hope that was ok. This is one of the few chapters for any story I have ever written that has taken multiple days to put together.

RAA: (sits silently)

Me: …no objections? Really? Whoops…I guess I scared him a little too much…no matter. I'm sure he'll be back and perky next chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! More is coming up soon!

RAA: (waves)

Me: Alright…that really is freaky. And one last thing I forgot to mention – the point of this story is not whether or not Alex is alive or who he may or may not be, this story will concentrate more on him building up a relationship with Sophia as he gains his lost memories, and he will later meet up with some of his old crew again.

RAA: (nod nod)

Me: That…is seriously getting creepy! I'm getting out of here! (runs away)

RAA: (grins and whispers) It worked!


	5. Chapter 5: Captain Of My Own Ship

***Start Flashback***

_A Few Months Earlier:_

_ He wasn't sure just what he had been expecting. Maybe that the ship would have miraculously fallen into some lake or deep bed of snow, where the fall could have been cushioned. Perhaps that somehow the ship could have been damaged but would have never completely fallen._

_ Most of all though, he had hoped his friend could still be alive._

_ But looking at the juts of machine lying scattered around the clearing, he knew it was never possible. Splinters of jagged steel lay in a deadly maze, and the only somewhat in-tact part of the ship was lying right in front of him. Slowly, cautiously, he crept toward it, instinctively drawing his gun. It was only a habit due to his long years of directing military ships, something that he could never break, even when he knew there were no survivors here. _

_ The first site to greet him as he entered the ship was a long string of dead roses. Blackened and defeated, they lay limply on the ground of the entranceway. Vincent's eyes narrowed in disgust as he thought about the tortures the man who had once been there had gone through. At least, he thought, the Maestro finally got what was coming to her, as he spotted a badly burned body resting against the side of the destroyed vessel._

_ There was no sign of Alex – either his body had been cast out into the sky (where, Vincent thought grimily, he would have probably preferred to be anyway), or someone had gotten here before him. Why they may have wanted the dead captain, he had no idea, but he could only hope they were no enemy. He was sure he had been the first to request to explore the ship, yet he now knew someone had been here before him. He knew he would do everything in and beyond his power to recover his friend's remains. He owed Alex at least that much._

***End Flashback***

Despite his constant searches and tireless efforts, Vincent never recovered Alex's body. He supposed it must have been lost early in the battle of the skies. Yet there was a strange feeling in him. Something in him refused to believe Alex was truly gone. So although the captain was forced to return to his own ship and abandon his efforts, he never really gave up the notion that he had miraculously survived. It wasn't until the captain's funeral that he started to lose hope. Seeing that casket, even though he knew it was empty, was the hardest moment in all his long years. He started to wonder if his belief was simply him trying to avoid the truth – after all, he had even said himself that Alex was not easy to kill. Hell, he had tried to kill the man many times before, but somehow he always slipped out of his grasp. But Alex was still a mortal man – even he could not avoid death forever.

***Start Flashback***

_ A young boy ran around a large oak tree, giggling as he maneuvered his toy ship, making little buzzing noises as the ship 'flew' through the air. He was barely 6 years old – very short with light brown hair in a mop and enthusiastic brown eyes, and wore plain but clearly expensive clothes – the fabric was silken and smoother than most would have the pleasure of wearing. His father, a wealthy general of the imperial army, believed that you should dress like you are about to go into a fight – unburdened by jewels or trinkets that could be deceiving to the mind's eye in the heat of battle, yet you always need to be presentable outside a battle for your superiors._

_Vincent's father was a well known and respected general who had served the army for many years. He had singlehandedly defended the eastern guard post for nearly 20 minutes against over 50 Disith soldiers until backup was able to get there. Had he failed, they would have bypassed the gate and laid ruin to the many small towns lying on the border of the two lands – causing hundreds, if not thousands of deaths of innocent farmers and livestock_. _He was now retired from active duty, reassigned to training the recruits, but he was still as tough and strict as he had ever been. Vincent looked up to him as a role model that he one day hoped to surpass in fame. _

_ Vincent stopped, listening closely. There was a strange noise coming from one of the bushes on the far side of the garden – not far from where he was standing. He frowned and dropped the toy, instead arming himself with a short but sturdy stick, before slowly approaching the bush. Upon closer inspection, he could just barely make out a bit of fabric in the middle of the bush. He raised the stick and gave the figure a sharp slap, figuring he could knock it out, but underestimated his arm strength. Instead of falling, the figure stood quickly and looked at the general's son with wide eyes._

_ It was a poor boy – possibly a servant. He wore dirty rags of clothes and looked like he had not had a good meal or bath in awhile. His hair was a clump on his pale skull, apparently having not been brushed for some time, although Vincent had a feeling he was not quite as poor as he seemed. _

_ "Who are you?" He asked curiously, keeping his stick raised defensively._

_ The boy, aware that the stick wouldn't hurt him, but sure that the guards in the courtyard would, replied quietly, "Alex. And you are General Raidon's son (1)."_

_ Vincent frowned, "How do you know who I am?"_

_ Alex shrugged, "Everyone knows who you are. And anyway, it isn't hard to figure it out."_

_ This caused the older boy to scowl, "I hate it when people compare me to him…I'll be a much better General than him. In fact, I'll be the captain of my own ship!"_

_ Alex slowly smiled, "I think I'll be a captain too. That way, we can see who the best pilot is."_

_ Vincent grinned and added, "Yeah! And I'll be there to save your butt when you get in trouble!" This earned him a scowl from Alex, but before he could reply, one of the guards started to near Vince, who shoed Alex away. "Go, I'll see you next week!"_

_ Alex's eyes brightened, and he nodded eagerly before ducking into the bushes just before the guard came within earshot. Vincent turned to the guard, who beckoned for him to follow. He did so obediently, but couldn't help but cast one more look over his shoulder. _

***End Flashback***

**++End Chapter++**

I spent a long, long time trying to decide how to do this chapter. I knew from the start I wanted Vincent to star, but it was really difficult to figure out how to do his meeting with Alex, and to decide what I wanted to concentrate on. His first meeting was originally going to have them fighting, then they would meet again after the battle, but somehow I liked having the really young versions of themselves meeting without knowing as much about each other. And the ship part was just fun to write.

Anyway, I hope you liked the first 'restart' of Corrupted Hearts. Let me know if you have any complaints or anything and I'll try to change things if I can, but remember this is supposed to be more of an AU story, so the pasts are purposely not like they 'should be'. The next chapter will go back to Teran and Rosaline's relationship, and a long awaited ship will return. Enjoy!

(1). I am not sure who Vincent's father is and I didn't want to get any facts wrong, so I decided to make up my own name and history for him. If you happen to know, it would be awesome if you could tell me! I'll probably use the fake name for this story, but if I decide to do any more writings it would really come in handy.


End file.
